Bittersweet
by HeteroChromium
Summary: The bittersweet chocolate slowly melted and spread over Kuroko's mouth, matching with the bittersweet feeling in his heart. The bittersweet feeling of a broken love. Akakuro with Kagami-Kuroko friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! Here's a quick Akakuro fic for Valentine's Day. Sorry to the guys who are following my story Silent Presence or hoping for a new update on that story. There wouldn't be an update this week and probably would only be up next Sunday or later since I have a lot of tests next week and I've been under-performing from my usual standard. So, oh well.**

***Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.**

**Summary: The bittersweet chocolate slowly melted and spread over Kuroko's mouth, matching with the bittersweet feeling in his heart. The bittersweet feeling of a broken love.**

**Pairings: Akakuro (I don't think I can really write any other main pairing)**

**Warning: Akashi won't be appearing in this story unless in a sequel chapter. He'll mostly just be mentioned. Oh, and there'll be quite a lot of Kagami-Kuroko friendship. I just can't see Kagakuro as an actual pairing (a big sorry to all Kagakuro shippers). I see it more as friendship.**

**Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day!**

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Valentine's Day, a day for couples and friends alike. A day where large amounts of chocolate of assorted flavours were given to loved ones and friends alike. This year, Kuroko Tetsuya did taste something bittersweet lining his mouth. It just wasn't chocolate. Only a sense of nostalgia and a feeling of longing.

This year's Valentine's Day went by as though it was any other day of the year. Kuroko Tetsuya didn't really knew what he expected but he would've imagined that Valentine's Day in High School would be more dramatic. Apart from the basketball captain Hyuuga finally deciding to man up and confess to the team's coach Riko - warranting an embarrassed flush and delighted squeal respectively - during morning practice, the day past by almost uneventfully.

After a lighter training session - courtesy of Riko's good mood from the chocolates and love confession - Kuroko and Kagami were once again walking towards their favourite fast food restaurant. As Kuroko quietly took a seat near the window, with a vanillas shake in hand and a small burger on his tray, he felt his phone vibrate, signalling a new message.

Watching his partner scoff down twenty or more burgers, the blue-haired young man took out his sky-blue phone and checked his messages. As expected, the latest one had been sent by Kise and Kuroko could pretty much guess what it would be about.

_Kurokocchi! Happy Valentine's Day! I really want to meet you... I even got chocolates for you... I'm pretty this is the first I haven't been able to give you Valentine's Day chocolates... Oh, sorry, but Kasamatsu-senpai's calling us back to practice! Happy Valentine's Day, Kurokocchi!_

Kuroko had to agree. This is the first year that Kise didn't give him a Valentine's Day gift. Ever since he knew the blond, the model had never failed to try to woo him with chocolate and love confessions. And whilst Kuroko admitted that he was fond of his former pupil and loved him as someone akin to family, he wasn't in love with him. Because Kuroko Tetsuya was in love with someone else. And not receiving a Valentine's Day greeting from that person had really stung.

Quickly, Kuroko texted back to Kise. _It's okay, Kise-kun. Maybe another time._

"Hey Kuroko," Kagami called out, pausing his burger-demolishment.

"Yes, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked, watching as his teammates and partner rifled through his bag with one hand, appearing to be searching for something.

"Ah, here you go," Shrugging his shoulders, Kagami pushed a square box across the table before taking a bite of his burger. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Blinking, Kuroko set down his vanillia shake and gently pulled one end of the yellow ribbon that was wrapped around the box. Once he opened it, the blue-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise as the sight of seven chocolates of varying shapes and flavours greeted him. On each chocolate was a certain word and all together, the seven chocolates spelt out 'Thanks for being such a good friend.'

Eyes watering slightly, Kuroko looked to Kagami, touched by the strong gesture of friendship. Reaching across the table, Kagami ruffled his friend's hair. "It's okay, buddy. Thanks for helping me so much."

"Mm," Kuroko nodded. "And thank you too, Kagami-kun."

"No problem."

"But you don't particularly strike me as the type to do this type of things," Kuroko added, much to Kagami's displeasure.

Flushing a bit in mortification, Kagami then proceeded to explain how his 'brother', Himuro Tatsuya, had pestered him into helping him make chocolates for his teammates and Murasakibara.

Kuroko's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Murasakibara-kun would love that," he said with conviction.

After that, a comfortable silence befell the two and followed them until they stopped at the junction at a quiet road where they would have to split up to go home. Just as Kuroko was about to cross the empty road to get to his house on the opposite end, Kagami stopped him with a quiet, "Are you seriously alright, Kuroko?"

Startled, Kuroko back step and turned face his partner. "What do you mean, Kagami-kun?"

"I'm talking about that redhead middle-school captain of yours."

Immediately, Kuroko stiffened, his face turning as pale as a cod. "H-how did you know about him?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't think you've met him before."

"Murasakibara told me," Kagami said bluntly. "As thanks for my help, Tatsuya invited me to a practice game Yosen had against another school. I had a talk with Murasakibara while we waiting for Tatsuya to finish changing so he could treat us to dinner. When Murasakibara found out about me making chocolates for you, he warned me not to hurt you like what someone he called 'Aka-chin' did. That was before I corrected him, of course. After hounding him a bit, he told me that this 'Aka-chin' was actually Akashi Seijuurou, the captain of the Generation of Miracles... And the person you love."

Wincing, Kuroko muttered, "Yes, that's right, Kagami-kun." Another pregnant silence befell them before Kuroko broke it. "Although I'm a bit hurt that he didn't wish me a happy Valentine's Day like he did for the past two years, I'm alright."

He only received a concerned stare for his aloof words. "If you say so, Kuroko. If you say so."

Back at home, when Kuroko flopped onto his bed, his once again reached for his phone to check his messages. Since Kise's message, he had received a few more from the other members of the Generation of Miracle, including one filled with the day's Oha-asa lucky item and colour for Aquarius from the resident tsundere and another enthusiastic text from the pick-haired manager of Touou's basketball team.

But still none from his love.

Despite what he told Kagami, tears pricked at the corner of his eyes and an odd pang of sadness echoed in his the phone close to his chest, Kuroko recalled the previous two Valentine's Days - or any day for that matter - happily spent with his lover.

Once, the red-haired boy gave him a typical box of heart shaped chocolates before announcing that those chocolates represented his heart and when Kuroko ate them, he was keeping his heart captive. Kuroko could remember blushing madly because of that bold analogy and how Akashi smirked at hims slyly.

The previous year, before Akashi had changed for the worse, he had brought Kuroko out to an indoor rooftop restaurant for a Valentine's Day dinner. That had been one of the happiest moments of Kuroko's life. To have his the person he loved the most in the world by his side and enjoying Tokyo's night skyline together was one of Kuroko's most treasured memories.

Briefly, Kuroko wondered if Akashi was also thinking of the times they had spent together, eating together either in Teikou's school garden or the accompanying each other on the rooftop, one playing shogi against himself and the other reading a classic novel.

Kuroko wondered if Akashi remembered. Because Kuroko could certainly remember them. And sometimes he wished he couldn't remember so well, because that only increased his longing for those times to come back.

Taking out the box of chocolates he had received from Kagami, Kuroko took one and bit into it, slowly chewing on it, realising its flavour only a few moments later. It was nice, but bittersweet as well. That seemed to really fit his love life. Bittersweet.

Kuroko placed the chocolates on another side of the bed before burying his face into his hands, wordlessly sobbing at the bittersweetness of a broken love that should've been able to withstand all sorts of obstacles.

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**I don't know if I should do a sequel chapter. I guess it'll be up to you reviewers. If I get a positive response, then I'll write another chapter for White Day (probably ;P) Please review, favourite or even follow!**

**Cheers,**

**Latios963**


	2. Chocolate Sweet

**Hi! :) Here's that sequel some of you asked for! And on White's Day too! I really had fun writing this, but um, please don't blame me for the OOCness. Especially for Akashi and the Crownless Generals. I don't really read the manga so I'm not too sure how the Crownless Generals act.**

**Oh, by the way, I changed my pen name from Latios963 to HeteroChromium.  
**

**Happy White Day! And please enjoy this story!**

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**Chocolate Sweet**

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Clack!

The sound was followed by an immediate silence throughout the basketball courts of Rakuzan High School. All the players both on and off court froze as they watched the orange ball they practiced with regularly bounce off the hoop. Seeing a basketball bounce off the ring of the hoop wasn't a very strange sight, actually. The real shocker was the redhead standing near the hoop.

"Hey," Mibuchi Reo, the black-haired mother hen of the Rakuzan basketball club whispered to his fellow club member and Crownless General, Hayama Kotarou. "Isn't Sei-chan acting a bit weird today?"

"Yeah," Hayama agreed as the two watched as their captain missed another easy shot into the hoop. "Akashi-captain does seem pretty out of it. Maybe he's sleepy? It is pretty early. Or maybe he's just distracted."

"Maybe," Mibuchi concurred after taking a glance at Akashi's unseeing eyes and forlorn expression. "But Sei-chan never misses. that means whatever's distracting him must be pretty big for him to mess up such an easy shot."

"Well," the deep, voice that grumbled behind them startled Mibuchi and Hayama. They turned around to see their large and incredibly muscled centre, Nebuya Eikichi. "I bet anyone would feel upset not spending time with their boyfriend."

"In case you forgot, muscle gorilla," Hayama reminded, "Akashi-captain and Kuroko are no longer dating."

Nebuya just shrugged his shoulders while a contemplative glint was sparked in Mibuchi's eyes before he clapped his hands together and exclaimed, "Oh! I know now!"

"Know what?" Hayama's eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

"Guess what day today is," Mibuchi smirked mischievously.

"14 March..." Hayama's voice trailed off as the penny dropped. "White Day!"

They had almost forgotten all about it. Although almost as hectic as its counterpart, Valentine's Day, in terms of gift preparation, it was not as chaotic as the day when almost every single girl in the school decided to confess to their crush. Akashi had forced them to come early for morning practice and since the basketball courts were situated quite far from the classrooms, they hadn't heard of any love confessions and gift exchange.

"So that's why he's so down!" Mibuchi grinned excitedly and the other two Crownless Generals sighed inwardly. The raven-haired male loved love stories and a dramatic one like Kuroko and Akashi's was right up his alley. "He misses Kuroko!"

"Please get back to training," the cold voice startled Hayama and Nebuya while jolting Mibuchi out of his fantasy. They turned to see their red-haired captain staring at them impassively. "I can hear you, and I think that your time could be put to better use by training than discussing my and Tetsuya's relationship." As he strode past them, they swore that they could hear a mutter of "Or at least, our past relationship."

[Line Break]

Akashi really didn't know what went wrong. They had been happy. So very happy together. They loved each other, Akashi was sure of that. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that he loved Kuroko Tetsuya. And that Tetsuya loved him too.

What went wrong? Akashi thought, though he knew perfectly well how all those happy times went down the drain.

He hadn't meant to be so distant, to become so cold. Unknown to anyone, he had been struggling to keep the others in check and he had been under immense pressure in maintaining his control over the others. And he had became scared. So scared that his Tetsuya would leave him too. At that time, he had been so sure that his lover would eventually leave him, just like how he saw all his friends - Shintarou, Atsushi, even Daiki and Ryouta - leaving him, slowly, gradually, one by one.

So to save himself from the agony in the future, he had distanced himself from Kuroko, busying himself with winning and obtaining the idea of perfection. And now he knew that that was the worst thing he could have ever done. By doing that, he had driven his lover away from him. But instead of leaving in anger and fury, Kuroko had left in sadness and depression. Akashi could practically see the hurt in those usually well-guarded blue sapphires.

And seeing Kuroko hurt had hurt him too.

On Valentine's Day, Akashi had debated with himself whether he should greet Kuroko and send him a gift or not. His fingered kept hovering over the 'send' button, a well-composed text already written. But in the end, he couldn't find it in himself to do it. Kuroko had been hurt, by him. He had no right to see Kuroko, to beg for apology.

But if so, why was he still standing outside Seirin? Oh right, right after lessons - they ended early since the teachers all had a meeting and thus, there wasn't any basketball practice either - he had been ambushed and dragged along by his teammates to Tokyo. They had claimed to wanting to check up on something. Who knew that something was Seirin, the school where his love attended.

Akashi knew it was a mistake to leave the picture of Kuroko and himself in the locker room, especially since he had such nosy teammates, but he couldn't bring himself not to. He carried that photo everywhere. To remind himself of the happiness he once felt. Of the only person he had ever wanted - ever needed - in his arms.

Akashi sighed as he was left outside the indoor courts of Seirin's basketball club, with the Crownless Generals taking off in another direction to explore the school. Checking his watch, Akashi saw that the time was about six in the evening. Practice should be sending soon.

And despite his mind screaming a loud 'No!', his body found a hidden corner to watch the people coming and going in and out of the door. Despite his mind telling him that it was a bad idea, reminding him why Kuroko might not be happy to see him, Akashi's body still longed for Kuroko.

He only had to wait for another twenty minutes before the club door opened and a stream of people exited from it. Any normal person would feel intimidated by the task of finding Kuroko amongst the crowd, but Akashi remained calm. Unlike others, Akashi could easily see his beloved Tetsuya.

Catching sight of a tuff of cotton-candy blue, Akashi turned his head to watch as his ex-boyfriend walked out the door. And he couldn't help it that his hands immediately balled up into fists when he saw his beloved's companion.

Kagami Taiga. Akashi had heard of him before, from the members of the Generation of Miracles. And the one thing that stood out from their description of him was that he and Kuroko was rather close. And Akashi hated that.

Standing up to make himself know, Akashi followed Kuroko out the school before calling out, "Tetsuya."

Kuroko stopped, freezing when he heard that voice. He turned around slowly to see his previous captain. Blinking, he patted Kagami's shoulder and told him that he wouldn't be going home with him today. The dark-redhead cast a wary glance at Akashi before shrugging nonchalantly and saying 'okay'.

Now it was just Akashi and Kuroko at the entrance of the school. Kuroko's senpais had all gone off already and there was no one left in the area, leaving a very awkward silence between the red and blueheads.

"How are you, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked, eyes anywhere but on Akashi as he tried to get the interaction over with.

"I'm just missing Tetsuya."

Kuroko's head jerked up in surprised, only to come face to face with Akashi and staring straight into serious red and gold eyes. He gulped before averting his gaze again, much to Akashi's frustration.

The captain of Rakuzan took a step forward towards Kuroko, saying, "Tetsuya. I missed you. Do you miss me?"

Akashi watched as Kuroko's pale cheeks heated up in embarrassment. "I-I... I guess I missed Akashi-kun as well."

Akashi smiled tenderly before asking once again. "Then, please Tetsuya, tell me. Do you still love me? Because I love you."

Kuroko's eyes widened as he finally looked up and held Akashi's gaze. He took a step back before Akashi reached out and grabbed his wrist, pleading, "Please, Tetsuya. Please give me another chance. I can see it in your eyes. I can see how much you still love me. Now look into my eyes. Can you see how much I miss you?"

Kuroko stiffened up before relaxing. "Yes... I can see that very much, Akashi-kun."

"Then please," Akashi wrapped his arms around Kuroko. "Please let me love you once more. Please, can you spare me one more chance?"

Kuroko took a deep, shaky breath as he returned the embrace, winding his arms tightly around Akashi's torso. He felt that familiar warmth, that familiar skin. And he was reminded of how much he missed touching it. With a few tears leaking out from his eyes, he murmured, "Okay, Akashi-kun."

And Akashi knew. He knew that they would be okay. Because he saw that Kuroko had never stopped loving him. And he knew that he had never stooped loving his darling Tetsuya. He had him in his arms once more, and he wasn't going to blow his chances. Not again.

"I love you, Tetsuya, forever and always."

"I love Akashi-kun too, from the very depths of my heart."

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**And it's done! Please let me know what you think by reviewing! Thanks!**

**Happy White Day everyone,**

**HeteroChromium**


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